It is known to provide refractory material which is supported on a grate between the heat source and food supporting grill. Such refractory material distributed across the grate radiates heat to the food on the food supporting grill. Such briquettes 100 of refractory material are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,676 arranged on a grate to provide gaps 102, 103, 104 and 105 for the reasons described. The briquette 100 is described as being in the general form of a four-sided pyramid and illustrated either as having flat, smooth faces or shadowed presumably to demonstate flat smooth faces.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,869 there is disclosed a molded refractory slab having an upper surface formed with a plurality of frusto-conical upward projectors 27. The sides 29 of the projections 27 are inclined about 45 from the horizontal, appear to be smooth and form valleys between the adjoining portion of adjacent projections.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,312, refractory material briquettes 25 are supported on a grate dispersed much like charcoal or coke briquettes and being of irregular configuration.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,646,928 and 3,692,013 also disclose refractory material briquettes of which the top and bottom formations are in the general form of a trunicated pyramid with smooth faces.
The briquette for a cooking grill embodying the herein invention is formed of a suitable refractory or other heat radiating material such as a suitable metal or metal composition and includes a general rectilinear, flat base having a medial pyramid formation upstanding from said base. Said base has a perimetric trough encompassing the base of the formation. Each face of the pyramid formation includes a series of striations or grooves extending from the apex to the base of the formation and communicating with said trough. The invention contemplates arranging like briquettes to overlie the surface of the supporting grate of the grill with the apices thereof oriented upwardly toward the food supporting grill and the side edges of adjacent briquettes abutting so as to prevent inadvertent seepage of renderings from the food being grilled from escaping inadvertently to the heat source below the supporting grate. Such renderings in the form of liquified grease or oil impinge on the briquettes and flow downwardly along the striations or grooves to collect in the trough so that the heat from the heat source not only heats the briquette, but also heats the grease or oil collected in the trough. Thus, heat is radiated to the cooking food on the grill above both from the briquettes and the renderings collected in the trough.